April flowers heralded in another spring. Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), shook hands and held talks again with Honorary Chairman Lien Chan of the Taiwan-based Kuomintang (KMT) party on Sunday, who was leading a delegation to the mainland. This time last year, a historical meeting between the CPC and KMT leaders opened a new chapter in the relations between the two parties or even across the Straits. What message would the second handshake convey?

One year ago, relations between the two sides were at a low tide with "Taiwan independence" forces running wild on the island and the cross-Straits situation looking grave. The mainland, examining the ties from a completely new perspective, invited KMT Chairman Lien Chan to lead a delegation to the mainland. The "Hu-Lien talks" finally produced "five common aspirations" and provoked a new round of "mainland craze". In the year that followed, the two sides, despite various difficulties and obstructions, saw unprecedented contacts and exchanges in fields of economy and trade, culture, education and society. The cross-Straits ties have displayed a positive change, showing momentum for peaceful and stable development.

The second Hu-Lien meeting marks just the right time for the consensus reached one year ago to blossom and bear fruits.

The talks this year focused on both the past and future, raising suggestions on the direction of cross-Straits ties. President Hu, from a new historical height and a broader view, gave four suggestions on deepening cooperation and developing relations between the two sides. Among them, the two political topics, such as stance on "1992 Consensus" and the question about "talks and negotiations", are concerns of the Taiwan public or even authorities of the island. The latter, in particular, is believed in Taiwan to carry special meaning considering the time the mainland raised it.

The second Hu-Lien handshake is dominated by "peace and development". The pursuit for peace, development and stability is always mainstream opinion of the island. Hu's four suggestions all follow the popular will closely by taking "peace and development" as the goal:

--Adhering to the "1992 consensus" is the vital foundation for peace and development across the Taiwan Straits;

--It's the ultimate goal to seek interests for the people across the Taiwan Straits when we are working for peaceful development in cross-Strait relations;

--A mutually complementary and beneficial relationship is the effective way for realizing peaceful development across the Straits;

--Equal consultation is the only way to achieve peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

Lien Chan happened to hold the same view by stressing peace and prosperity as two sides of the same coin. According to Taiwan media, the release of "peace" by the mainland is of great influence on people of the island, and it will do no good to DPP authorities if they reject it.

The second Hu-Lien handshake highlights the mainland's Taiwan policy as being more pragmatic, active and confident. In recent days, Taiwan authority leaders have doubled their separatist efforts and deliberately obstructed and sabotaged the advancement of cross-Straits relations. The mainland, aiming at the interests of people at both sides, remained undisturbed and continued to work for the successful holding of the Cross-Straits Economic, Trade Forum in Beijing, and announced 15 policies and measures benefiting Taiwan compatriots. Most of these measures can be exercised by the mainland alone which bring convenience, opportunity and benefits to Taiwan's farmers, fishermen, students, businessmen, doctors and so on.

On April 29 last year, President Hu once said that the dialogue between CPC and KMT "injected the smell of spring into the improvement of cross-Straits relations"; before returning to Taiwan, Lien Chan also expressed at airport the will to "meet again when willows turn green". Now, they do meet again amid spring flowers in Beijing, which will surely bring new vigor and vitality to the relations.

Editor: Yan